A Quick Dinner Tip

Q. What are some creative uses or serving suggestions for a rotisserie chicken that I pick up from the grocery store? – Marriette, Greenville

A. We are very blessed to have a number of retail outlets that prepare high quality “grab and go” items for us to purchase and consume. Yes, on occasion even chefs buy convenience items like a rotisserie chicken. An idea that could be considered would be to make some fried rice with it. A day or more prior, cook some long grain white rice. When cooked, rinse it completely and store it in your refrigerator. When you get home with your ready-to-eat chicken, quickly fry the rice in a little peanut oil with scallions, diced water chestnuts and soy sauce. Rotisserie chicken with fried rice would make a great dinner. When done eating, pick all of the meat from the carcass and simmer the carcass including all bones, skin and drippings to make a great broth. Add the chicken meat to the leftover fried rice and it becomes great leftovers for lunches or dinner the next day. Cooked chicken meat can be utilized in many ways including in sandwiches, burritos, quesadillas, soups, stews or just by itself. The possibilities for using leftover cooked chicken are really endless.